1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for purchasing non-fuel merchandise where the selection is made at the fuel dispenser, and in particular, where payment is made inside the store.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's retail fuel stations allow consumers to pay for fuel and service items (e.g., car wash) at the fuel dispenser with a credit card. However, a large percentage of customers “pre-pay” for their fuel before dispensing the fuel. That is, the customer enters the store (or kiosk) and pays for the fuel prior to dispensing the fuel. Current retail fuel station technologies do not enable consumers to purchase non-fuel merchandise on or at a fuel dispenser for such “pre-pay” fuel sales.
In a “Post Pay” fuel station transaction, a consumer pumps their fuel first, then pays inside the convenience store, potentially purchasing other non-fuel merchandise inside the convenience store today. However, in this type of transaction the consumer cannot order non-fuel merchandise at the fuel pump for “post payment.”
Sometimes these type of transactions are referred to as “pay-inside” sales or “pay at kiosk” sales That is, they address those fuel and convenience store sales in which a consumer walks into a convenience store and pays with cash or credit before or after they pump their fuel.
Currently, consumers cannot select and purchase non-fuel merchandise at the fuel dispenser on either of pre-pay or post pay types of pay-inside transactions. If a consumer wishes to purchase non-fuel merchandise on a pay-inside transaction, they must select and pay for the merchandise inside the convenience store and pay the cashier.
To date, no method has been devised for handling non-fuel merchandise transactions at the fuel dispenser (car wash or any other items) on pay-inside fuel transactions, whether they be pay-inside before pumping fuel (pre-pay) or pay-inside after pumping fuel (post pay).
It would be beneficial to the consumer to have the ability to order non-fuel merchandise items at the fuel dispenser, even if the consumer was conducting a “pre pay” or “post pay” pay-inside transaction. This allows the consumer and the store to avoid a series of transactions.
Others have attempted to integrate non-fuel purchases with fuel purchases into point of sales systems. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,321,984; 6,732,081; and 7,383,204, which are incorporated by reference.